One Night
by amber24-03
Summary: Could one steamy encounter lead to hidden feelings? One night was all it took. Please Read & Review! I love to know what you all think! (Short Story) (Fox & Theresa)


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Disclaimer: I don't own anything "Passions". I only wish I could own Fox.

Summary: Could one steamy encounter lead to hidden feelings? One night was all it took. * Short Story * (Fox/Theresa)

Rating: I'll just say PG-13. It's not going to be anywhere near NC-17. I don't write that kind of stuff.

A/N: I want to set this up for you a little before you start reading. They are in L.A., staying at the Crane Apartment. There is no plan to get Ethan back, but it wouldn't really matter if there was. And Fox does NOT want Whitney. He wants Theresa instead. (But like he doesn't anyway?) That's basically all you need to know so I'll let you get to reading. I hope you enjoy! And please Read and Review! J 

P.S. - This may be a tad bit corny, but then again, what about "Passions" isn't?

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"One Night"

    He watched her quietly, secluded to the shadows in order to keep himself from being seen. It hadn't been his intention to spy on her. He hadn't even suspected her of being awake at such a late hour, but once he descended down the stairs and Theresa came into view, Fox decided it was best not to disturb her. Not while she sat, her feet swaying in the water, her head tilted upward toward the night sky, probably wishing for Ethan. 

    She looked beautiful with the moonlight waters reflecting off of her, even if she was thinking about his model-citizen half brother. Her hair and eyes shone brightly in the dim light. It was almost as if he was looking at angel. But then again, that was what she was to him: an angel. His saving grace. Fox's reputation before Theresa wasn't something he had even tried to keep a secret. Until he met Theresa, Fox had never wanted be anything but a womanizer. No one was supposed to change him … but she did.

    "Out for a midnight swim?" Theresa heard his voice, but as she looked around to find him, she saw nothing. In an instant, Fox slowly emerged from the shadows, a crooked smile playing on his lips.

    Theresa sighed a breath of relief, glad that it was Fox who had approached her and not Ethan. Seeing Ethan right now would only make the inevitable hard to live with. "Yeah, kind of. I just needed a quiet place to think, I guess." She watched as Fox made his way over to her, an all to familiar feeling rising inside of her. Suddenly, under the dim light of the moon, Fox looked different; almost desirable.

    Fox nodded in understanding before removing his shirt, wanting to take a dip in the water himself. Theresa's jaw visibly dropped, a reaction that shocked even Theresa. This was Fox. Feelings like this weren't supposed to be evoked by him. "Let me guess. Ethan? What has he done now?" Fox tried to ignore Theresa's reaction, but he couldn't stop his wide smile from surfacing. He dove into the water in order to hide the fact that he was glowing. Maybe her mind wasn't just focused on Ethan, after all.

    Theresa laughed, shielding her face with her hands, wanting to shake off her huge case of embarrassment. Although this wasn't a new feeling for her, no one but Ethan could have affected her like that. Now that Ethan wasn't the reason for her increased pulse rate, Theresa wasn't quite sure how she should react. "He hasn't done anything." she gasped and tensed when she felt Fox's hands unexpectedly grazed her legs before resting on the cement of the pool at each side of her. "You probably won't believe a word I'm saying, but I've been out here for a while. And I've been thinking a lot about this. I think it's finally time that I move on and put Ethan behind me."

    "You're right." Fox's eyes met Theresa's, his eyebrows raised in slight surprise. He had replayed Theresa saying that to him over and over again in his head with her declaring her love for him soon after. But it had never occurred to him that those words would actually leave her mouth. In fact, he wasn't quite sure he was really hearing them now. "I don't believe it." he paused, contemplating his words carefully. "Theresa, don't get me wrong, I think you moving on is a great idea. But why the sudden change of heart? I mean, you've been pining away at my half-brother since you split a couple years ago … Why, after only a couple hours of thinking, did you finally decide to give up on him?"

    "Whitney." Theresa replied matter-of-factly. Fox nodded knowingly. Whitney had recently gotten on a kick that Fox and Theresa were suddenly meant for each other. Fox couldn't say that he disagreed, however. He and Theresa were meant for each other. Now if he could only make her see that. "We had a long talk today and she said some harsh but true things. It is apparent, and has been for some time, that Ethan and Gwen are not going to part anytime soon. I don't want to spend the rest of my life waiting for a moment that probably will never happen and die alone."

    Fox's heart went out to Theresa. If only she knew that she didn't have to die alone. That he would happily take the place of Ethan in her heart. But he couldn't just openly tell her that. Not when Ethan still had so much of her heart.

    "Good for you, Theresa. I've been hoping you'd suddenly open your eyes soon. I'm glad you finally see what I've been trying to tell you all along." 

    "It's kind of scary, though." Theresa fixed her gaze on the pool's still water. 

    "What is?"

    "Letting Ethan go." Fox looked at her confused. "Think about it, Fox. Ethan has been all I've ever known. He has been a part of my life since we were kids and if I don't have Ethan, what do I have left?"

    Fox took in a deep breath, wanting to calm his nerves. His heart broke for her and he was willing to do anything to reassure her, even if it meant humiliating himself. "Me, Theresa." Fox took Theresa by the hand, his eyes gazing intently at her. Theresa shivered. Something was definitely different about Fox. But what could have caused the sudden change?

    For the first time since their talk had begun, Theresa looked at Fox. She really looked at him and suddenly, she saw herself through his eyes … and she was beautiful. Breathtaking, really. This was how Fox saw her. This was how Fox had always seen her.

    "Fox?" Theresa slid slowly into the pool, becoming pinned in between Fox and the pool wall. Her heart rate quickened and she was unable to pull her eyes away from him. Maybe the change hadn't been so subtle after all. Maybe Theresa had always had this hidden attraction for the bad boy Crane. It was just now, Fox has awakened that attraction inside of her.

    Fox smiled, moving in closer to Theresa. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed. I mean, according to Whitney and Chad, I couldn't be more obvious."

    Theresa could feel his breath on her face and it drove her crazy. Fox had hit on her plenty of times before, but none had actually affected her this much. None had made her even think about Fox romantically. Now that was all she could think about.

    "What's so obvious?" Theresa exhaled, letting out the breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. Was this what Fox could do to her? Make her forget how to breath all together?

    "The way I feel about you."

    A playful smile tugged on Theresa's lips. "How exactly do you feel about me?" She couldn't resist playing dumb. It wasn't every day that Fox Crane declared his feelings openly. Giving him a hard time about it was something that was too hard to pass up.

    No matter what he could have said, his words would have never done his feelings justice. Instead, he did the only thing that came to his mind. Fox cupped Theresa's face in his hands and brought her lips to his. He kissed her with everything that was inside of him, leaving delicate kisses along his jaw line in a journey to her ear when the kiss finally ended. "I'm falling in love with you, Theresa." his voice came out as a low, hoarse whisper.

    Theresa closed her eyes in order to suppress the rising feeling of desire as Fox continued to nibble gently on her ear. "This isn't right, Fox."

    "Then why does it feel that way?" Fox looked at her only for a split second before going back to her ear. His lips slowly traveled back over her jaw line and to her neck. Out of impulse, Theresa ran her fingers through his hair.

    "It's too soon."

    Fox pulled away from Theresa only slightly, his eyes glazed over. Theresa couldn't help but get engrossed in them. She had never seen him like this, not even when he talked about his mystery woman. "Not for me, Theresa. I've been waiting so long for this. I've wanted to be able to kiss you, to touch you, from the moment we first met." He slowly lifted her from the water and carried her back to his room, laying her down on the bed gently. "Tell me you want this too, Theresa."

    Theresa hesitated only for a moment. "I want this too." she whispered, closing her eyes for the incoming kiss. His lips engulfed hers as he slowly lowered his body on top of her. Fox hadn't lied to Theresa. He had dreamt about this moment many times.

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    Theresa laid on his chest, the sheet pulled over her naked body. She looked up at Fox, who was sleeping peacefully, and brushed his hair lightly. In the course of one night so much had happened. So much had changed. Ethan was no longer lingering in the back of her mind because now, she didn't need him anymore. Fox was here for her. Fox would always be there for her. 

    It had taken Theresa so long to suddenly realize just how much Fox cared for her, and in a way, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. Fox was always there, ready to help whenever she needed him. And she always needed him. She always relied on **him**.

    Fox had changed her world completely; made it so much better. And until now, she never realized just how much. He truly did love her and she was so incredibly grateful to him. Without Fox, Theresa couldn't have made it through some of the toughest times in her life. 

    Fox had first come into her life during a time that, without his support, she wouldn't have survived. And since then, she had always depended on him. He had helped her through her sickening marriage, through almost losing her son, but most of all through Ethan. Fox had never complained about her obsession with Ethan. He never did tell her to just shut up, although he did say it was never going to happen. It was through the tough times that she must have fallin' in love with him because now, the thought of Fox not being her future wasn't even a possibility.

    "Fox?" she nudged him gently. "Fox, are you awake?" he grunted and snuggled closer into her, his face nuzzling her neck. Theresa let out a small, tired sigh and closed her eyes. "I love you too, Fox." she whispered before slowly drifting off to sleep. 

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Please Read and Review. It's really important that I know what you think.


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